Make your own Muesli // Faites votre Muesli maison

21:04
Gaelle So
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Many have heard that saying before "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". But we do eat breakfast very differently from country to country and from one home to another.

I always kind of hated having a breakfast routine, and love to have a different breakfast almost everyday. There is (almost) always fruits, on my breakfast plate. Then other things gather around, sweet or savoury : toast with jam one day, bread and cheese another day, pancakes the next, egg and soldiers, cereals, and of course, the occasional treat with fresh croissants and pains au chocolat from the local bakery.

While some people are very easy and go for the same breakfast menu everyday, my taste for diversity turns my brain into a bubbling creative machine, very early in the morning. My first meal of the day has to be tasty and delicious, as well as nutritious and "fuelling", of course.

A good option, when I don't have the time to cook an elaborated breakfast, is cereal. But I've stopped buying cereal from the shop a while ago, and started making my own for two reasons : I know what goes inside and can then make sur it's as healthy as possible, and it's also much cheaper to make my own.

If you're keen to make your own breakfast cereal, I do advise you to go shopping in a "bulk" store. There are more and more shops selling bulk food everywhere now, from zero waste shops to organic shops, or bulk sections in mainstream supermarkets. If you can get to one of these, you'll be amazed by the diversity of ingredients available, and usually at a much cheaper price. And great plus, you get buy as little or as much as you like or need, perfect when you're making a recipe like this muesli.

What's the difference between muesli and granola?

They are basically both a breakfast "cereal mix", mostly made of oats or other grains, mixed with nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Now, muesli is just that : grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Muesli is raw, uncooked. Granola usually has some kind of fat and sweetener added to it and is cooked, baked, in a way to create "clusters". Muesli is loose, while these same ingredients are usually bound together in a granola with some help from oil and a sweetener like honey or maple syrup.

The choice is yours, if you prefer a sweeter and crunchier breakfast cereal, go for granola! Here are my recipes for banana granola and homemade granola.

If you're more into soft cereal with less sugar, go for muesli! Omit the dried fruits if you try to avoid sweet stuff, and just add plenty of fresh fruits when you serve it.

I usually prepare a big batch of muesli and store it in the cupboard : it keeps for a very long time in airtight containers, like glass jars.

Why eating muesli for breakfast?

It's a very healthy and filling way to start the day. It's full of nutrients, protein and fibres, that keep you full for a long time, and give you plenty of energy for your morning activities.

It's very easy to make, and easily adapted to your preferences or diet. It is sweet enough with fresh or dried fruits, much better than those shop bought cereals that usually contain about 30% of sugar.

How to serve homemade muesli?

Soaking or not soaking?

While the original Muesli, created by the swiss Doctor Bircher-Benner, is traditionally soaked overnight (ever heard about bircher-muesli, or overnight oats?) : a mix of rolled grains (mainly oats), with often mixed with nuts and let to soak overnight with water or milk, or apple juice, then served for breakfast with yogurt, and grated apple.... there are many other ways to enjoy muesli, for breakfast or as a filling snack.

For an easy peasy breakfast, the night before, put some muesli or plain oats in a jar, top with some liquid (almond or coconut milk are great!), and leave it to soak overnight in the fridge. In the morning, just get the jar out of the fridge and eat!

You can also serve muesli as it is without going through the soaking step : just put a few spoons of it in a bowl, and top with the milk of your choice (I like almond milk or coconut milk), apple juice, with grated apple, with plenty of fresh fruits (banana, berries, kiwi, pear ... follow the seasons!), a spoonful of homemade jam, compote, yogurt, ...

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Date caramel // Caramel de dattes

22:57
Gaelle So
1 Comments

There is sugar, and sugar.There are many different sugars existing out there : cane sugar, beet sugar, raw sugar, white sugar, demerara sugar, brown sugar, turbinado, muscovado... you name it. Then there are some other sweeteners, considered more natural ( but careful, they are also high in, well... sugar!) like maple syrup, honey, agave nectar or coconut sugar. But the most natural sugar out there, is the one naturally present in the food you eat : fruits, vegetables, dairy.

I still do eat sweet things, containing sugar, but try to be wary of the amount of sugar I eat. I try, as often as possible, to replace refined sugar by maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar, and also to reduce the quantity of sweeteners in recipes.Wether you're trying to reduce the amount of refined sugar in your diet, or curious about healthier options for your favourite recipes, I definitely recommend you to try this date caramel. It's very easy to make, contains only dried dates and water, keeps for a while in the fridge (about 2 weeks), and it can me used in many ways. Add it to your yogurt, cereal, porridge, dip some apple slices or homemade biscuits in it, or use it to prepare some delicious refined sugar-free desserts and baked goods (try this sugar free brownies recipe!) !

Ingredients200g pitted dried datesHot waterSoak the dates in hot water for about 30 minutes.Drain through a sieve, making sure you keep the soaking liquid in a bowl or jug.Put the dates in the bowl of a food processor (or in a large bowl, and you can blend with a stick blender), blend until smooth, adding some of the soaking liquid little by little until reaching the desired consistency.Transfer the date caramel to an airtight container and keep in the fridge.

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22:56
Gaelle So
2 Comments

I started a new challenge : baking without sugar. I mean without refined sugar. I won't stop using sugar altogether, but I definitely do want to try to reduce my use of it. If you're have a big sweet tooth, like I used to, I advise you to watch the movie "That sugar film", a great documentary, very interesting and well directed. It definitely inspired me to be more aware of what food I eat, and to have more control on my diet -without being completely obsessed and extreme though.That means being sugar-aware, especially added sugar aware. Next time you go shopping, take your time and read all the labels of the food you buy -or plan to buy- before putting it in your basket. You'll be amazed at how much sugar there is everywhere, even where you least expect it, like savoury foods. The best way to avoid all these added sugars in your diet, is obviously, to make your own food from scratch as much as possible, and there's plenty of recipes on my blog, and many others to inspire you.

The hardest part when you want to avoid or reduce refined sugar, is in sweet stuff, desserts, snacks,... But cooks all round the world get creative and find healthier alternatives to sugar-loaded recipes.

I've made these brownies a few times, and they do taste great. If you're used to very sweet brownies, be aware that they do taste different, and you'll first think "oh, it's missing something". Yeah of course, it's missing about 200g of sugar you'd usually find in a basic brownie recipe.But see it as a way to taste more of the other ingredients that were covered up by all this sugar : chocolate, that touch of sea salt, the coconut...I have used date caramel to sweeten the brownie mix : you'll find the recipe here! Keep in mind that dates are still high in "sugar", though they are dried fruits, and as well as giving a sweet touch to your recipe, they're rich in fibers, minerals and vitamins. I find dried fruits like dates are a great way to add a bit of sweetness to recipes, without reaching for the usual sweeteners. But like anything, it's all about balance and variety.

Ingredients120g flour80 g cocoa powder1/2 tsp baking powder100 ml coconut oil, melted80 ml coconut milk3 tbsp chia seeds (or flax seeds), ground100g date caramelpinch of sea salt1 tbsp cocoa nibs2 tbsp berries (fresh or frozen)Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a square tin with parchment paper, and grease with some coconut oil, using a pastry brush.Put the ground chia seeds to soak in half of the coconut milk for a few minutes until it thickens.In a large bowl, mix the date caramel with the coconut oil, coconut mil, and coconut milk and chia mix. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and whisk until getting a smooth batter. Fold in the cocoa nibs and berries with a spatula, and pour the batter in the tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.Let the brownies cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

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Kaab el ghazal, Gazelle Horns // Cornes de gazelle au miel

21:39
Gaelle So
1 Comments

I love oriental pastries. One of my favourite stalls at the market I go to when I,m in Alsace (France), is that little one selling homemade oriental sweets. I also enjoy, of course, trying to make these myself. It can sometimes be quite a challenge, as these oriental pastries do require time, patience and technique, if you want to make everything from scratch.

Gazelle Horns are these little biscuits, very popular in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, made with a thin pastry,filled with an almond paste, and flavoured with some orange blossom water.

I've done a little mix of recipes found here and there to create these original gazelle horns, with delicious oriental flavours of almond, orange blossom water and a touch of cinnamon. They're sweetened with honey, for a very unique taste.

Start by preparing the pastry : mix the butter and flour in a bowl, incorporating the butter In the flour with your fingertips, until forming a smooth ball of pastry. Let it rest in the fridge.

Toast the almond powder in a dry pan on a medium heat, for about 3 minutes, until the almond powder just starts to turn golden. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the melted butter, honey, cinnamon and orange blossom water. Mix well to form a smooth dough. Let it rest in the fridge for 3 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170°C

Flour a work surface, and roll the pastry thinly with a rolling pin. Cut the pastry into 20 10cm x 10 cm squares.

Take the filling dough out of the fridge and divide it in 20 little balls. Roll each between your hands, then shape them into little croissants. Put a little croissant filling in the middle of each pastry square, and wrap each of them in. Transfer the biscuits to a tray, lined with baking paper or a silicone mat, and bake for about 10 minutes, until the biscuits just start to turn golden, but don’t overcook them.

Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack, and glaze each of them with a mix of some honey and orange blossom water, using a pastry brush, then sprinkle with some chopped almonds.

1 comments:

17:20
Gaelle So
1 Comments

I've already said it before in a post (and probably said it again already), but I love eating with the seasons, as you get to enjoy the freshest produce, when they’re at their best. For me Spring means radishes, new carrots, dandelion, strawberries, and, of course, asparagus. Their season is really short, especially for the white ones. There are many ways to prepare asparagus. But my favourite way is the most simple way : just steamed, and served with a homemade mayo. Add it some whipped egg whites and you get this beautiful airy mayo, called mousseline. Mousseline and asparagus are just meant to be eaten together.

Spring is also a ind of rebirth in the forest, which means plenty of wild foods to forage. Wild garlic is one of those delicious wild foods that deserves to be known.

This recipe is a pure celebration of seasonal food, of the delicious produce and wild food that Spring brings to our plates, in a very simple, yet delicious dish.

Wash the asparagus, then cut the hard bottom end off and peel them around the bottom (Keep the scraps to make a delicious no waste soup!)

Cook the asparagus in a steamer or in boiling water, until cooked through. The cooking time will depend on the chosen cooking method and the thickness of the asparagus. I cook them for about 30 to 40 minutes in a steamer, depending on their thickness.

Separate the yolk from the egg white. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the mustard, using a whisk or a fork. Add the oil little by little, while whisking fast. The mix will slowly thicken to become mayonnaise. Once all the oil has been incorporated, add the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and mix in the chopped wild garlic. Keep in the fridge.

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add them slowly to the mayo, with a spatula, to create an airy sauce mousseline.

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Radish leaves creamy dip // Trempette crémeuse aux fanes de radis

17:04
Gaelle So
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The "no waste" cooking is taking a big place in my "cuisine". I've always cooked in a way to waste as little as possible, putting my little food scraps in the compost.Though I often notice that some of these things that I put in the compost are still perfectly edible, like those radish leaves. Yup, radish leaves are edible, and they're also delicious. They have a peppery flavour and can be used in many ways, raw or cooked. Same story with those carrot tops and beetroot leaves.When cooking with vegetables leaves and tops though, always cook them when they're super fresh. Get rid of any old, yellow leaves.I chose to use those beautiful leaves raw, to keep their peppery flavour and their vitamins."And what do we eat that dip with?"- with fresh vegetables as an appetizer /snack (radish, cucumber, carrot, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower,..)- spread on bread- dip in some homemade crackers :

Ingredientsthe leaves of a bunch of radishes4 tbsp of fromage blanc or greek yogurt1 tbsp olive oil1 tsp lemon juicesalt, pepperWash the radishes leaves, and get rid of any yellow or old leaves.Chop the leaves very finely, and put them in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.Serve with fresh vegetable sticks, or as a sauce with any other dish.